UConn foursome appreciates honor of competing with best of U.S.

Rich Elliott

Updated 12:30 am, Friday, October 4, 2013

STORRS -- For many years, UConn star sophomore Breanna Stewart has had the goal of playing for the U.S. Olympic team. Winning multiple national championships during her four-year career with the Huskies is the primary goal at this point, but there is no denying her intense desire to team with the best players in the world and represent her country at the highest level.

Stewart will take another step closer to realizing her dream this weekend when she competes at the U.S. Women's National Team mini-camp today through Sunday at the Cox Pavilion practice gym on the campus of UNLV. She will not be alone as UConn All-Americans Stefanie Dolson and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis will also be among the 27 players in camp, each sharing the same goal of becoming an Olympian.

"I think that obviously it'll be a really good step if I play well," Stewart said. "But just to be invited is obviously a good step for this. These are the people who are going to be in contention to be on the 2016 Olympic team and my name is on the list."

UConn senior All-American Bria Hartley was also expected to compete this weekend. However, she was unable to make the trip due to what a source said was a slight ankle injury. She's not playing as a precautionary measure. Hartley missed nearly all of preseason and the first two games of the regular season a year ago due to a sprained left ankle.

Bird, Charles and Taurasi won gold with Auriemma in London in 2012. Former UConn star Maya Moore did, too, but she will be unable to attend the camp due to her involvement in the WNBA Finals with the Minnesota Lynx.

"It's definitely humbling," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "I looked at the list of people recently and I was just like, `Oh, my gosh. How did I get chosen to even participate in the mini-camp?' It's just an honor.

"People ask if it's kind of normal now because I've been on previous USA teams, but there's nothing like being on the actual USA team with legends like Sue Bird and Tina Charles and Diana Taurasi, anybody that you can name."

They are among just six current college players attending camp. Notre Dame All-American Kayla McBride, Baylor All-American Odyssey Sims and Maryland All-American Alyssa Thomas are the others.

The camp will be used to identify athletes for the 2013-16 USA National Team pool. Workouts will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

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"It means the world to me," Dolson said. "It's such an amazing opportunity. To be honored with that is something that a lot of people can't say that they get. I'm just excited to be in this position and have the opportunity to go out there and kind of play against all these women who have been playing forever. It'll be fun."